Washington DC [US], February 7 (ANI): With India signing off on a framework for a bilateral trade agreement with the US, new opportunities have opened up for India. Former US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Raymond Vickery said India has fared better than most countries by maintaining a logical, deliberate process instead of yielding to the chaos fostered by US President Donald Trump.
In remarks to ANI, Vickery said India still aims to reach an agreement, which is how most accords are concluded. He observed that the usual practice among major trading partners is to work out detailed terms first — a process that often takes more than a year — and then issue a joint statement announcing the agreement.
“This is not the Trump style,” Vickery said, explaining that Trump’s approach often involves announcing outcomes that may not yet be real and then trying to fit details into that announced framework. He said India has done well in trying to work through details, though India has also spoken of finalizing an agreement within a couple of months — a more typical timeline for trade deals.
Vickery emphasized the need for US-India cooperation on Russian oil. The White House recently revoked an additional 25% tariff on India after India committed to stopping imports of Russian oil. He noted the importance of joint action on Russian oil for addressing the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but cautioned that India’s long-standing relationship with Russia will not be discarded overnight.
He added that while India is pushing for a measured process to adopt a formal agreement, the Trump administration also needs to pursue a similarly deliberate path. “It remains to be seen whether there can be a sufficiently logical and deliberate process which will stand the test of time,” Vickery said, contrasting transient social-media proclamations with agreements that are operationally durable.
The US and India announced they have reached a framework for an Interim Agreement on reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade. The framework reaffirms commitment to broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, which will include further market access commitments and measures to support more resilient supply chains.
The joint statement called the Interim Agreement a historic milestone, reflecting a shared commitment to reciprocal and balanced trade based on mutual interests and concrete outcomes. (ANI)
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